Importance of Teamwork in Organizations

Importance of Teamwork in Organizations

Teamwork is used across many different industries to increase performance, employee unity and company culture. Companies that must frequently develop new ideas or products using a project-based approach assemble teams in order to diffuse responsibility. Team members use teamwork to bounce ideas off of one another before deciding on a development path for a project.

Problem Solving

Teamwork is important due to the problem-solving synergy gained from multiple minds working on a solution. When one person works on a specific company problem, that person only has her personal experience and knowledge from which to pull for solutions. Using teamwork, team members pool their collective ideas together to generate unique ideas for dealing with problems. Problems in this case are not purely negative. The problem could be developing a product for a consumer to address a need that the consumer does not know that she has.

Communication

Teamwork is the backbone of effective communication within a company. When employees work as individuals or independently on projects, they may not readily share knowledge or new information. This lack of communication increases the time it takes to complete projects, tasks or the development of solutions. Teamwork promotes conversation between employees regarding the task at hand, possibly preventing employees from working in opposite directions. For example, if one employee does not communicate that one method of addressing a problem is a dead end, and another employee is still trying to use that method, productivity is lowered.

Cohesion

Cohesion is an important byproduct of teamwork within a company. This cohesion could be the result of increased chemistry, trust or both from working on projects as a team. Cohesive employees are less likely to be confrontational toward one another and more accepting of each others' decisions. Cohesion from teamwork can greatly increase the work-flow speed of a company.

Learning

When employees work together as a team within a company, every employee learns from one another. This knowledge is not limited to the personal experiences of teammates; employees from different departments may learn information from each other regarding the limitations and possibilities of those departments.

The Role of Teams in Organizations

By increasing effectiveness, competitiveness, and productivity, teams have become an essential element of successful businesses.

The use of teams has become essential to successful organizations of all types and sizes. Teams benefit organizations by combining people who can achieve goals faster and more effectively through collaboration than can individuals working alone. Organizations often use teams to bring together individuals from different departments or functional areas in order to conduct their operations and address problems. They may turn to teams to make the most efficient use of their employees and other resources. Small organizations—especially start-ups—may be made up entirely of a single team on which everyone works jointly to achieve a common goal.

Teams within organizations

Teams are important in small businesses as well as large corporations.

Technology and Teams

Changes in technology—such as lower costs, ease of use, and increased availability—now make it easier to form teams and accomplish teamwork. For example, technology allows workers in different locations to communicate and collaborate. This is known as a virtual team. Collaborative tools such as Google Docs, as well as video-conferencing applications such as Skype, are available at low or no cost. Common technology infrastructures such as communications and data networks link people and allow them to share documents and other teamwork products effectively.

Globalization and Teams

The increased globalization of work also accounts for the increased use of teams. Many of the challenges faced by global companies create a need for broader expertise and knowledge when decisions are made. A large company with divisions around the world can form teams that bring together people with the necessary background and skills to achieve its goals. Doing so enables the organization to make use of expertise and skills regardless of where it is located. Operating globally also creates opportunities to combine the efforts of employees working on similar projects to avoid duplication and create synergies.